Hedwig's Love
by gonzochickenlover
Summary: Hedwig worries about Harry while she spends time with the Weasleys. Warning: Mentions of abuse. (post 1st year)


Note: I have not published anything in a long time and have decided to go through my old works. I have re-read, and with the help of someone to beta for me, I have touched it up. I hope you will enjoy.

Any mistakes are my own.

Thank you genevieveyoung for being my Beta. You have been a great help to me.

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am just enjoying her magical world.

Warning: Mention of abuse.

Hedwig's Love

Hedwig was flying. She was worried about her person, the one the humans called 'Harry'. He was going back to the nest he grew up in, and Hedwig knew he wasn't taken good care of by the humans that lived there. The ones called 'the Dursleys'.

When the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the station, Harry thought about the Dursleys. Harry's stomach sunk and dread filled his veins. For Harry, the Dursleys represented suffering, and he did not want Hedwig to suffer. She would not be safe with him. There was a chance they would hurt her, and even if they didn't, the Dursleys would make her stay in her cage. She would be locked up in his room for the entire summer. She would not be able to stretch her wings. She would not be able to hunt. She would not be able to be happy.

As he looked out the window of the Hogwarts Express, his hero complex kicked in. It was his heroic need to protect his friends the previous school year that had kept the school safe from Voldemort. His heroic need for the owl kicked in as he stepped off the Express, and he decided he would protect his beloved friend, Hedwig.

When the train doors opened, Harry released her from her cage, wrote a note for her, told her her destination, and off she flew. He would not let the Dursleys lay their violent hands on her.

Hedwig wished he would have sent her off while they were still at Hogwarts instead of putting her in her cage and having her travel on the train with him. She did not like cages. Harry did not like locking her in a cage either. It reminded him too much of being locked up in his cupboard. He had put her in that cage because that was what wizards did with their familiars, and he was a wizard.

Many magical humans thought of familiars as things, as lesser beings. They thought anyone, or anything, not like them was a lesser creature: animal, magical creature, muggle, or even their fellow wizard. Humans, in the lump sum, tended to be a hateful bunch.

Owls were different. Owls didn't care about what each other looked like, where they were born, or who they mated with. They cared about survival, comfort and dedication to their families; both the owl and the human sort. Harry, too, was raised to rely on the need for survival. Now, he was learning the need for family. A family he got to choose. He chose Hedwig to be part of his family and he treated her as such. He stroked her feathers and spent time with her. He talked to her as he would anyone. And he loved her with his whole heart, with all of his being.

She found the cage uncomfortable, but put up with it to be close to Harry. She did not like riding on the train; all those bumps and shaking made her uncomfortable, ruffled her feathers, made her uneasy. She preferred flying. After all, that was what she was meant to do. She felt sorry for the humans. They had to use _things_ to fly, like brooms and planes.

The moment Harry had brought his caged Hedwig into the train to start the journey home, he regretted it. She was not a thing. She had feelings just like him. She deserved to be able to stretch her wings, fly, and hunt when she chose. That's what activated his heroic heart.

Right now Hedwig was flying above the trees and fields, meadows and lakes, to get to where Harry had told her to go. 'Ron,' Harry called him. Ron, too, was part of Harry's chosen family, and by extension, Ron Weasley's family. There were many owlets in the Weasley nest but they were all happy and well cared for.

Hedwig reached her destination and tapped on the window. The mother let her in.

"Oh! What are you doing here?"

Ron's mother took the letter and read:

 _"Please take care of Hedwig. I'll come and get her when I visit later this summer. Hope you guys are doing well! -Harry"_

"Well, Hedwig dear, it looks like you will be staying with us for a bit. Here, have some sausage."

"Hoot," agreed Hedwig. She happily accepted the treat. They tasted good.

"Make yourself at home," said Mrs. Weasley.

Hedwig then flew to a perch and settled in. She was happy to stay with others of Harry's chosen family.

As the weeks went by, Hedwig developed a routine. In the mornings, the humans would feed her scraps from the table and open the window for her to hunt. Errol would keep her company at times. After they hunted, they would share a tree or a fence and watch life go by. She would listen to the animals roam about and watch the Weasley nest-mates interact with each other. They would spend a lot of time outdoors. The nestlings would also fly around on brooms. They would chase balls and each other. Hedwig enjoyed watching their fun. It reminded her of owlets.

The mother would garden, and her nestlings would catch and throw gnomes out of their territory. They didn't seem interested in eating them. She wouldn't eat the gnomes either. Their skin was tough and they looked more like plants than animals. Maybe the humans just wanted to play with their prey? Cats did that.

The longer she spent at the Weasley nest, the more everyone worried about Harry. He hadn't responded to any of the letters. She couldn't remember them giving her any letters. This confused her.

After several weeks, Ron and two of the other nest-mates, the ones that looked alike, decided they would take action.

Ron came up to Hedwig before they left. "Don't worry Hedwig, we'll get him." He stroked her feathers. He knew how important Harry was to Hedwig. After all, Harry was just as important to him.

Hedwig ruffled her feathers and squawked. She was not pleased that Harry had been gone for so long.

The three nest mates left in their father's flying car. When they left to get Harry, the sun had just started rising. When they got back, it was setting. Her senses kicked in. She could feel him in her bond. He wasn't feeling well. She flew over to the returning car and flew alongside it and squawked. Harry was looking through the window at her with a huge grin on his face.

The car landed and as Harry got out of the car, he winced. She flew up to him and he stuck out his arm. She landed on the car instead. She did not want to hurt him more than he already was.

Harry was both disappointed and relieved that she landed on the car instead of him. "Hey girl," he said hesitantly, "I missed you. How did Ron's family treat you?"

She cooed. She wanted Harry to know she was okay. She had missed him. She leaned toward him and let him stroke her feathers. He used his left hand. His right arm was tucked into his chest. He was also putting most of his weight on his left foot. This made her worry. She cared about him very much and hated seeing him hurt. She wished there was more that she could do. She was only an owl and owls had little power in the Wizarding world. But Hedwig did have power on Harry's heart, and that's what mattered. She would be there for him, while he healed, and forever after. He was HERS.


End file.
